Description
Indulge in the comforting flavors of Outrageously Delicious Greek Moussaka, a beloved Mediterranean dish that layers spiced ground lamb or beef with tender eggplant and a creamy bécchicken chicken hamel sauce. This hearty casserole is perfect for family dinners and gatherings, offering a delightful balance of savory meat, rich vegetables, and velvety sauce that will leave everyone asking for seconds. With easy-to-follow steps, you can create this impressive dish that captures the essence of Greek cuisine in your own kitchen. Customize it to your tastes by swapping out meat for lentils or mushrooms for a vegetarian twist.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 eggplants
- 1 lb ground lamb or beef
- 1 large sweet onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 can (14 oz) canned tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Slice eggplants into rounds, salt them, let sit for 30 minutes, rinse, and pat dry.
- Sauté eggplant in olive oil until golden brown; set aside.
- In the same skillet, cook chopped onions and minced garlic until fragrant.
- Add ground lamb or beef, browning well before adding canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cinnamon stick. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- For the bécchicken chicken hamel sauce, melt butter, whisk in flour until golden, gradually add milk, stirring until thickened; mix in Parmesan cheese.
- Layer half of the eggplant in a baking dish, followed by half of the meat sauce. Repeat and top with bécchicken chicken hamel sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the dish (approximately 300g)
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg